Category: Media Clips

Paul Sullivan writes the “Wealth Matters” column for the New York Times, which shares insights on the mindset and strategies of the affluent. Recently, McManus & Associates Founding Principal John O. McManus chatted with Sullivan about the decisions that adult children who are expected to take over a family business face and connected Paul with his client Sharon Madison, a remarkable woman who successfully navigated the challenge of family business succession.

Sullivan’s article leads with Madison’s dedication that kept United Building Maintenance, the business that her father started, on its successful path after he became ill.

In February, Andrea Coombes wrote an article, titled “The Tax-Smart Way to Draw ‘529’ Funds”, about education tax benefits for the Wall Street Journal’s Investing in Funds report. The piece generated a number of follow-up questions from readers. Here’s one that came across Coombes’ desk:

“Before he died, my father contributed to a 529 on behalf of my daughter [his granddaughter]. Need anything be done now to ensure that my daughter is able to use these funds for tuition?”

To help answer this question, Coombes turned to John O. McManus, top-rated tax and estate planning lawyer who founded McManus & Associates. The firm offers income tax planning among its services.

Combine Income Tax Preparation and Estate Planning

When tackling a jigsaw puzzle, you’ve likely taken the “divide and conquer” approach, separating the larger puzzle into more manageable sections. Eventually, you bring the different areas of focus together to put the finishing touches on the full image.

Wealth management is the same. Estate planning emphasizes an array of complex matters spanning death taxes, asset protection, incapacity, guardianship and family missions. Compartmentalizing can be helpful, but advisors must remember to bring the pieces of the puzzle back together in the end. It’s critical that strategies to maximize the value of your clients’ estates are coordinated with their retirement, financial and income tax planning.

The IRS recently issued its list of “Dirty Dozen” tax schemes, an annual release that kicks off tax season. Michael Fischer, contributor for ThinkAdvisor, took a closer look at the 12 scams and tapped McManus & Associates Founder John O. McManus for his guidance on two that specifically impact high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs): “Stashing cash offshore” and “Abusive tax shelters”.

In the eyes of the legal and financial world, an 18th birthday represents a major shift. Motley Fool Contributing Writer Michele Lerner’s latest DailyFinance story, “Parents: Are You Legally Ready for Your Kids to Be Adults?” utilizes tips from McManus & Associates to show families steps that should be considered when a child turns 18.

As part of our continuing effort towards thought leadership, McManus & Associates recently presented The Wall Street Journal with our impressions on the newest estate planning paradigm. The firm’s ideas helped shape a comprehensive, informative cover story in the Weekend Investor by well-versed Reporter Laura Saunders. The article, titled “The New Rules of Estate Planning,” also highlighted the Grevatt Family, one of our clients, for whom we employed a smart strategy in today’s environment.

Early this year, bills A1281 and S1311 were introduced in New Jersey to “eliminate transfer inheritance tax and increase the filing threshold and applicable exclusion amounts under New Jersey estate tax in accordance with provisions of federal tax law.” NJ A397 was also introduced and, if passed, would repeal the New Jersey estate tax.

Estate planning nightmares don’t just exist in dreams. Writing for DailyFinance, Reporter Michele Lerner relays several real-life horror stories that arose—and certainly have been replicated in similar forms far and wide—due to families neglecting to have detailed conversations about inheritance plans. “According to the 2014 Intra-Family Generational Finance Study by Fidelity Investments,” Lerner writes, “64 percent of parents older than 55 who have at least $100,000 in investable assets and their adult children over 30 aren’t on the same page about when the right time is to have conversations about estate planning.”

On July 28th, New Jersey Law Journal published a special supplement on “Wealth Management.” The featured section includes a co-authored guest article from McManus & Associates Founding Principal John O. McManus and Mark Cortazzo, senior partner at MACRO Consulting Group. The piece, titled “How Estate Planning Can Unintentionally Wreck a Retirement Plan,” outlines steps that can be taken to protect clients when complex investment vehicles like variable annuities are involved in the estate planning process.

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